Archives for February 2015

Lakeport Department of Public Works has announced starting this morning, AT&T will be working in the intersection of Lakeport Blvd and South Main Street with no completion time available. AT&T will have traffic control in place, so expect delays. Motorists are asked to find alternate routes and use caution in the area.

The Schoolhouse Museum in Lower Lake will be closed today, while a dying tree is removed. The longstanding blue oak in front of the museum has been in a state of decline for many years and will be removed by Northcoast Tree Care.The crew will use crew will use a crane to lift the tree up and over the iron fence to prevent damage to the fence and the nearby landscaping. Traffic control also will be in effect in the area of Mill and Main streets, where the tree is located.

A jury returned from its deliberations late yesterday afternoon with guilty verdicts against Moises Villegas, 28, of Ukiah. He was found guilty of two separate counts of misdemeanor hit-and-run driving, two separate counts of driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, and a single count of driving while unlicensed. Villegas failed to show up to court for the second two days of his four-day trial so a bench warrant was issued for his arrest after the verdicts were returned and entered in the record. Formal sentencing will take place after Villegas is taken into custody.

On a 3-1 vote the Clearlake City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance to ban all marijuana cultivation in the city. There were about 100 people in attendance for the meeting, which lasted close to four hours. The 2nd second and final reading of a new ordinance was the last action of the meeting. Lake County News reports that around 30 people remained in the audience, some shouting “recall” and others “referendum.” Before the meeting, those in opposition of the city council’s stance, stood at the entrance of the building and gave out “Sick lives matter” signs. A group is working on recall efforts aimed at council members who voted for the ordiance, along with a referendum to overturn the action.The ordinance will go into effect 30 days from its adoption, unless challenged by legal action – which is expected as well. A woman who uses the plant to medicate her young son’s health issues promised to sue. And a Lower Lake attorney who was in the audience said the council was making a huge mistake and will face serious political and economic ramifications.

A Northern California man has filed a class-action lawsuit against Purina, claiming that thousands of dogs have gotten sick or died after eating the company’s premium Beneful dry dog food. The plaintiff says, that both of his dogs got sick, and one ended up dying, after eating the food.There have been over 3,000 similar complaints filed online since 2011. The lawsuit alleges that the food contains toxins that used in car antifreeze and is produced by fungus that occurs in grain. Some Vets say tests on the food have failed to produce evidence of the toxins.

New Third District Supervisor Jim Steele will host his first community town hall in Upper Lake next week. Steele will discuss several topics including the proposed April closing of Westamerica Bank’s Upper Lake branch. He will also discuss several county projects, including the covered bike bridge project, Safe Route to Schools projects, sideways, the repaving of Highway 20, trash in the creeks and volunteer projects. The town hall is scheduled for Wednesday March 4th at 6pm at the Odd Fellows Hall in Upper Lake.

The National Weather Service has issued a special weather statement for parts of Northern California, including Lake and Mendocino Counties. Rain is expected to being this afternoon through Saturday. Snow is expected in higher elevations. Snow levels will initially be between 5000 and 6000 feet dropping to around 3500 to 4500 feet by tomorrow afternoon. If you are traveling over mountain passes or heading out for some recreational activities check out the forecast before you go. Small hail and isolated lightning are also possible in heavier showers mainly on Saturday. You can check the latest road conditions at 1-800-GAS-ROAD before travelling.

The Fort Bragg Police Department say they recieveded about 20 calls yesterday regarding a telephone scam. Scammers are claiming to be with the Internal Revenue Service and have altered their caller ID to appear to be with the IRS. Fake names and bogus IRS identification numbers are being used. Officials remind you that the IRS will never call to demand immediate payment, nor will the agency call about taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill. They will never require you to use a specific method for payment or request your debit card information. And unlike the scam call, they will never threaten to involve local law enforcement or threaten that you will be arrested for non payment. If you have any questions regarding this scam feel free to contact the Fort Bragg Police Department.

The deadline for enrollment in the covered California insurance plan has been extended for another month. California will offer a special extension to buy health insurance through the state exchange for people who say they weren’t aware they would face a penalty for being uninsured. The covered California Executive Director stated that as many as 600,000 residents may face a penalty under the affordable care act. The extension does not exempt people from paying fro 2014 tax penalty, but would help them avoid bigger penalties in 2015. The new deadline is now April 30th.